Noosa 2013 – Cancelled

It is with much regret that I announce that Sew It Together Noosa Retreat 2013 has been cancelled.

Those of you who paid deposits have been refunded in full (I am not sure how long Paypal takes to process these things – let me know if it is not showing up in your account by the end of next week, please!).

I’d like to thank all of the people who have helped to make SIT such a success over the last 3-4 years and who greeted the idea with such enthusiasm. I’ve had the time of my life!!

At this point, there will be no more Sew It Together events organised, but I hope that we can continue to enjoy the friendships we have all made.

Thank you again for your support.

Sheridan

 xxxx

Noosa Retreat 2013!

I am so excited to tell you about next year’s Sew It Together!

After a beautiful winter weekend in Canberra this year, we’re off to sunny Noosa in late summer!

SIT Noosa Retreat 2013 will be held at the beautiful Noosa Springs Golf & Spa Resort from 1st to 3rd March 2013. This year, things will be organised a bit differently. There will be just one ticket to buy and that will include the following:

• 2 nights accommodation at Noosa Springs Golf & Spa Resort in a 2 bedroom apartment (quad-share)*
• Complimentary use of the fitness facilities and 25 metre heated pool
• 2 x Buffet Breakfasts at Relish Restaurant at the Noosa Springs Resort
• Friday afternoon bus trip, including shopping time in Hastings Street, drinks and nibbles by the river, transfer to dinner and return transfer back to Noosa Springs. Dinner/drinks excluded**
• Saturday Crafting Session – 9am to 11pm (did you catch that? 9am to 11pm!!)
• Sunday Crafting Session – 9am to 1pm (you’ve been asking for a Sunday Crafting Session for years!)
• Catering at the Crafting Sessions – 2 x morning teas, 2 x lunches, 1 x afternoon tea, continuous tea and coffee
• Dinner (3 courses) on Saturday night at Relish Restaurant in Noosa Springs Resort. Drinks excluded.
• Lanyard, name tag and goody bag
• Entry into the prize giveaway
• Opportunity to enjoy any swaps, workshops, market stalls or other fun stuff that is yet to be organised (but usually forms part of the fun at Sew It Together).

So! Just one ticket and you can relax knowing everything is taken care of from the moment you arrive at Noosa Springs!

The cost will be $510 per person.

I am offering an early bird discount of $30 if you pay your deposit by 30 September, 2012.

Therefore the deposit will be $200 until 30 September, and $230 after that.

The balance ($280) will be due (strictly!) by 15 January 2013.

Numbers are limited!

Just remember! You need to have a blog, so make sure you include your blog address when you pay your deposit. Speaking of which, registrations will be available soon. I need to update the ‘shop’.

If you have any questions about the weekend, please leave them in the comments below. I will answer them in the comments, so please check back.

And see you in Noosa in March!

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* The fine print re accommodation

• Accommodation will be in two bedroom apartments on a quad share basis. That means each bedroom sleeps two people in separate single beds. You are free to pair up with a friend and let me know who you’d like to share a room with, and if you have another pair of friends, the four of you can have your own 2 bedroom apartment. If you don’t know anybody, don’t worry, this is a great way to make some new friends at Sew It Together!
• Each bedroom has it’s own ensuite and each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, two private balconies, air conditioning, LCD television with DVD/CD player, washing machine and clothes dryer. You should note that as the apartments are self-contained, there is no daily housekeeping service, no room service, no luggage porterage and no mini bar. Reception is open between 8:00am and 6:00pm. If you can live with all that, we get to take advantage of the very reasonable nightly rates offered by the Resort.
• There are a limited number of apartments being reserved for SIT. As I am personally liable for the cost of the rooms that are reserved and not used, I had to keep this number low. Once these are sold, there should be more apartments available, but they will be subject to normal availability and the bookings of holiday-makers. First in, first served with your deposit to guarantee yourself accommodation at the Resort.
• In the order of deposits paid, I will allocate beds/rooms and let you know by return email once your accommodation is reserved.
• The cost of the accommodation is so reasonable this year, that I am not offering the option of attendance without accommodation. Just one ticket and just one price!

** The fine print re Friday night dinner.

• We’ll be having dinner at the Noosa Surf Club, overlooking beautiful Main Beach. Food and drinks at your own expense, but they are at club prices and therefore should not break the bank.

Other fine print:

• Numbers are capped for the weekend. The space that we have reserved for us is wonderful and so comfortable and there will be a limited number of participants to ensure that it does not become crowded.
• Cancellation – if you cancel/change your mind/fail to pay your balance after paying your deposit, I will do my absolute best to refund your money, but I will need to find somebody to take your place. To date, I have always been able to do that, but it is not guaranteed. You should expect to lose your deposit if you are unable to attend.

Sew It Together Noosa Retreat 2013

1st to 3rd March, 2013.

Details to come as soon as possible!

 

Prints Charming Panels – winners!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

19
20
12

Timestamp: 2012-07-05 01:37:00 UTC

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Which makes our winners Gillian, Donna and Danielle! Congratulations!!

Sending you emails now!

Happy stitching!!

Late sponsor!! Prints Charming! Giveaway!

The gorgeous ladies from Prints Charming very kindly sent three of their stunning embroidery panels for the prize table at the Saturday Crafting Session….but unfortunately they arrived just one day too late to make the trip down to Canberra. Now as much as I would love to hog these all for myself, they belong to YOU!

These panels are priced at $44 each, so these are not prizes to be sneezed at!

#1 is a large citron flower on linen, as shown in the picture above.

#2 is a large red medallion motif on an off-white linen, as shown in the picture above.

#3 is a folkloric motif on a slightly darker linen, as shown below……

(That is my favourite one!!)

All of the packs come with a really useful embroidery guide booklet….

which details loads of beautiful stitches you can use to embellish your panel.

These panels are big! And would make a gorgeous cushion or wall hanging when finished. See here for some beautiful examples of stitching.

A huge thank you to Cath and Kirsten from Prints Charming for providing these panels as prizes for Sew It Together!!

If you would like to win one, please leave a comment below, and let me know your favourite. I’ll draw three names randomly (first drawn gets first pick, etc, etc) and I will pop one in the post to three of you.

Entry only available to attendees of Sew it Together Canberra 2012 please. Entries close midnight AEST Tuesday 3rd July.

Canberra 2012 Blog Posts

Have you written a blog post about Sew It Together Canberra 2012?

Please leave a link in the comments below, with a link to your post (not just your blog) so we can all browse around and get to know some of your blogs a bit better! If you write more than one post, please leave a link to each one!

Thanks!

Thank you!

Sew It Together is over for another year!

I know that it always goes quickly, but this year the weekend seemed to just pass in an instant.

We had 41 fabulous ladies attending in Canberra this year, and from what I could see, a good time was had by most!

Special thanks must go to all our sponsors who kindly send free stuff for our attendees. If you won something fabulous, or particularly love something in your goody bag, please blog about it and link back to some sponsors. They have been very kind to you and it would be nice to repay the favour.

A huge thank you to the lovely Julie and Rachel at Shop Handmade who made us feel so welcome and were so hospitable and warm on a cold Canberra weekend.

I appear to take all the credit for putting it together, but I absolutely could not have run the weekend without the following people, and so I send to them my sincerest thanks:

• Gillian – who ran the Name Tag Swap this year and did a sterling job!
• Cass – who ran the Sample Swap this year, with the extra little touches that makes her such a legend. She helped pack the goody bags, and she also took control of the prize draw on the day masterfully, with the help of….
• Renae – who did so many things for me over the weekend I lost count 🙂
• Kelli – who helped me with lots of local Canberra knowledge, delivered the mountain of Innergreen Toy Fill that arrived at the very last minute, returned the key for the hall on Tuesday, did a million other things for me, and greeted you all with a smile and a goody bag at the front door, with the help of…..
• Michelle – who got roped in at her very first Sew It Together with helping me out, along with another….
• Michelle – who happily took on anything I asked of her.
• Cath – who I used as a packhorse to bring a carload of gear down to Canberra for me, and who helped, along with her lovely Mum, pack the goody bags and price the fabric for my stall.
• Sara, Peta, Sarah and Fiona – who also helped pack the goody bags, the stencil printing bags and they helped me with the fabric for my stall (mostly by buying it). These girls, along with Cass and Cath, are an awesome sounding board for me all year long with regard to many of the decisions that I make for SIT. I value their input immensely.
• Susie – who probably did a thousand more things for me than I would ever realise. She takes care of so many things, usually without even bothering me, and she does it with a smile on her face and a warm heart. Susie works so hard behind the scenes at Sew It Together and I treasure her involvement!!
• Donna – what can I say. Donna works all year round on Sew It Together with me. She has to listen to endless discussions about the way forward and what to do next, and then as it starts getting figured out, for each year, she helps me with all the decisions that ultimately result in you all having such a great weekend. She works tirelessly all weekend backing me up; seeing problems, and then fixing them, before I even notice. She takes care of me…so that I can take care of you. She has been by my side from the very first day when I thought this whole thing might be a good idea. I have much to thank her for. 🙂

And heaven help me if I have forgotten someone. As you can see, it’s a huge long list; a list of fabulous women that help with no expectation of reward and I just hope that I have remembered you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you to these amazing women.

To all of you who came to Sew It Together Canberra 2012. Thank you. Thank you for trusting me with your precious crafty dollars. Thank you for travelling a long way and braving a very cold Canberra weekend. Thank you for welcoming the new ladies to our midst. Thank you for coming along with a smile on your face and a positive attitude. Thank you for the renewed friendships…why, oh why, can’t I see you all more than once a year?

Thank you, everybody.

Canberra 2012 – Order of Events

Friday Crafty Shopping Trip – Friday 8th June, 2012

Departing the Crowne Plaza Canberra at 1:00pm sharp, we’re off to Addicted to Fabric, Bison and the Shop Handmade. At Shop Handmade, we get some time to slow down, look through the store, shop, have a glass of nice cold sparkling wine and enjoy some delicious macarons. After a long day of travelling for many of you, it’s the perfect chance to relax. {Bus trip is full}.

Friday evening at your leisure.

Run/Walk – Saturday 9th June, 2012

Meet at the Captain Cook Memorial Globe at 7am for a 5km walk or a run (little bit longer). Let me know if you would like further details!

Handmade Market – Saturday 9th June, 2012

Make your own way to the Handmade Canberra market at the National Convention Centre (a short walk from both the Crowne Plaza and the YHA). The market opens at 10am.

Saturday Crafting Session – Saturday 9th June, 2012

Starting at 1pm at the Crowne Plaza Canberra, in the lovely Glebe room overlooking Glebe Park, is the main event, the Saturday Crafting Session.

Please arrive promptly – lunch will be served right at 1pm! If you arrive late from the market, I am not responsible for you going hungry!

Other than that little matter, it’s a relaxed day :-), with lots of opportunities to meet other craft bloggers, take part in some workshops, shop at the pop-up market stalls, do the infamous ‘Sample Swap’ dance, win a prize from the fabulous pool of prizes donated by our sponsors and, if you have time, do some of your own crafting!

You’ll receive a goody bag, with samples from our sponsors, and a name tag and lanyard.

Workshops will take place as follows:

• 2:30pm Beginner Crochet Class (all booked out)
• 3:30pm Sock Owl Workshop (book here if you’d like to participate)
• 5:00pm Granny Square Crochet Class (one spot left)

Mini Market Stalls will take place as follows:

• 1:30pm  – Suzy Hausfrau – yarn
• 2:00pm – Craft Schmaft – craft kits and patterns
• 2:30pm – Craft Junk – crochet and knitting needles
• 3:00pm – Chaletgirl – fabric de-stash
• 3:30pm – Possum Blossom – die cut papers and fabric for paper piecing
• 4:00pm – Polly Pratt – fabric and clothes
• 4:30pm – Silly Gilly – fabric
• 5:00pm – Clare’s Craftroom – patterns
• 5:30pm – The Red Thread – a huge range of crafty greatness
• 9:30pm – Posie Patchwork – fabric

Lunch, afternoon tea and all day tea and coffee is supplied at the hotel, and this year, dinner is also included in your ticket price. We’ll be breaking for dinner at 6:30pm and walking a short distance (for some fresh/cool/cold/freezing air) to the Tongue and Groove for a delicious meal (for more details, see here). Drinks are at your own cost, and can be purchased at the bar as needed.

After dinner, we have a Sew It Together first; late night sewing! We have the room at the Crowne Plaza until 11:00pm, so come back to the hotel for some more relaxed, late night, warm & cosy sewing time.

Midnight activities at your leisure 🙂

Fabric Stencilling Workshop – Sunday 10th June, 2012

Starting at 10:00am at the Corroboree Park Function Room in Ainslie, North Canberra, I’m going to  show you how to use stencils to print your own designs on fabric. You’ll receive a kit with all the tools you need to go home with a fabric panel printed with your own design, and you’ll be ready to keep going once you get home. Cost is $35 and you can book your ticket here. Please see this post here for details on transport for this event.

Sew It Together concludes on Sunday at 1:00pm at Corroboree Park in Ainslie.

Dietary Concerns?

If you are coming along to Sew It Together this year, and you have any dietary issues that I should know about for catering purposes, could you please let me know immediately?

Thank you!

Mini Market Stalls

I know you are excited about these!

I’m just finalising the actual timing for each stall, but here’s the list of stalls you can expect to find at the Saturday Crafting Session….

Suzy Hausfrau – yarn!

Craft Schmaft – patterns and kits!

Craft Junk – crochet hooks & knitting needles!

Chaletgirl – yes, I am destashing this year – please help find a nice new home for my fabric

Possum Blossom Patchwork – die cut paper pieces and fabric!

Polly Pratt – fabric and clothes!

Sew Vintage – fabric!

Clare’s Craftroom – patterns!

The Red Thread – lots of fabulous crafty stuff!

Posie Patchwork – fabric!

There will only be one stall open at a time, but unfortunately they will overlap with the workshops. No way to avoid that I am afraid. Please be considerate to your workshop host, that’s all I am asking!

And please understand that this has taken the longest of almost anything to organise…juggling the times…..trying to fit them before/during/after workshops….who is free at what time……so please be gentle with me if you are not happy with my decisions!!